# The Cross explained — Poetry

> Chapter companion for Poetry by Georgia Douglas Johnson.

## What happens

The speaker describes enduring a day of relentless mockery, malice, and scorn, which invades even their sleep with torturous visions, likening the experience to a crucifixion in dreams.

## Themes in this chapter

### Suffering and Resilience

The speaker experiences a 'crucifixion in dreams,' enduring relentless mockery and malice.

### Isolation and Otherness

The 'mad mocking strife' and 'leer of scorn' suggest a profound sense of alienation and being targeted.

## Character check-ins

### Unknown

The speaker endures a day of strife and scorn, with torment persisting into sleep.

## Key lines

> All day the world’s mad mocking strife, The venomed prick of probing knife, The baleful, subtle leer of scorn That rims the world from morn to morn

Throughout the day, the world attacks me with insane ridicule, sharp and poisonous jabs, and a hateful, sneering look that surrounds me constantly.

_Describes the pervasive hostility the speaker faces._

> While reptile-visions writhe and creep Into the very arms of sleep To quench the fitful burnished gleams: A crucifixion in my dreams!

Snake-like nightmares slither into my sleep, extinguishing any fleeting moments of brightness, making my dreams a place of torture.

_The torment continues even in the supposed refuge of sleep._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_9_se/chapters/the-cross
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_9_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_9_se/chapters